A cholesterol-lowering diet does not produce adverse psychological effectsin children: Three-year results from the dietary intervention study in children

The Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC), a 2-arm, multicenter int ervention study, examined the efficacy and safety of a diet lower in total fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol than the typical American child 's diet. A total of 663 8- to 10-year-old children with elevated low-densit y lipoprotein cholesterol levels were randomly assigned to either an interv ention or a usual-care group. Intervention included group and individual co unseling sessions to assist participants in adopting a dietary pattern cont aining 28% or less of calories from total fat (<8% as saturated fat, up to 9% as polyunsaturated fat, and 11% as monounsaturated fat) and dietary chol esterol intake of less than 75 mg/1,000 kcal. The dietary intervention redu ced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and 3-year results showed n o adverse effects for children in the intervention group in terms of academ ic functioning, psychological symptoms, or family functioning.